Improvement in water-meters



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Letters Patent No. 91,67 5, dated J'zmc 22, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-METERS.

- The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent anl"\mak.ing p art Ofthe 53m0- lb all whom it `may concern.-

Be it known that l', HENRY G, SERGEAN'L, of the' city, county, and Stuteof New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Water-Meters,and other motors, of which th following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, formingpart of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents avert-ical longitudinal section of a water-meter constructed inaccordance with my improvement;

Figure 2, a transverse section of the same, taken as denoted by the linex in tig. 1; and

Figure 3, a horizontal section of the piston and cyliuder of the meter,detached.

vSimilar letters of reference indicate corresponding g parts.

My invention consists in such an arrangement of passages in the mainpiston, together with others connect-ing the main and valve-cylinders,in combination .with a reciprocating main piston, working within atinuously keeping open such admission, and maintainv ing in a likecontinuous manner an Open character to the exhaust-passage from the maincylinder, an auto? matic reciprocating action is kept up of b'oth thevalve' and main piston under a mutual control, the one by the other,without the intervention of tappct or: other gear, or aid of anindependent secondary valve.

Referring to the accompanying drawing-,

A represents the cylinder' of the meter, covered at its opposite ends byhollow cylindrical caps or heads, B B', of somewhat larger interiordiameter than that of the cylinder. t

lVithin or through this cylinder, and into the hollow heads B B', apiston, O, is arranged to work or reciprocate, said piston-being shownas constructed of a donble-bucketed or chambered form, that is, havingopen-end chambers a a' on opposite sides of a central diaphragm portionof the piston.

Said piston is also constructed or provided with diagonally-arrangedpassages or pipes D D', one on ,either side of its diaphragm;v the sameopening at,

their opposite ends, through the periphery of the chambers a a', oroblique slots may be substituted for such' passages.

E is the exhaust-passage of or to the cylinder A, the same being indirect communicatiomby an opening, l1, with suid cylinder or pistonmoving therein, and by an opposite opening or passage, 1),withthevalve-box o1' cylinder F, with which passages G G', leading to opnposite ends ofthe cylinder A, also are in communica.-V ticu on oppositesides of the opening b.

Mun-.

The valve-box or cylinder F has also end pipes or passages H H',connecting it with the cylinder Aat points intermediate of the ends ofsaid cylinder and exhaust-opening l1 thereto, and in line with the oneend of either diagonal pipe D D.

I is the water-inlet to the valve-cylinder F, and which is incommunication, by passages c c', with the central or intermediateportion of said cylinder F.

Arranged to reciprocate within this cylinder, is a piston-valve, J, madeup of extended end l'neads d d', and a central'head, c, with reducedportions, ff', between the latter and the end heads.

The central head e is of slightly greater width than the exhanstport oropening b', so as to establish lap on both sides of said opening inpassing over it, while the inner faces of the end heads (l zl'vare atsuch distance from each other as that when the central head 'e is overthe exhaust-opening b", communication is established for the incomingwater through the passages c c to the cylinder F, between the centralhead e and both end heads d The operation is as follows: Snpposing theparts tobe' situated as represented iu the drawing, water entering thecylinder' F by the passages c c', exerts an opposite orconnteractiugteuf .deucy on the several hcadsof the valvel that servestoVimpar-tno motion to the latter, and,l were the pressure' to be equal onthe outer surfaces of the end heads, as

well as on the inner face'slthelreof, the valve would remain stationary;butalthouglbwin the working of the meter, .both the viiiainand"al'vel-'cylinders and several passages are full ofwater,there,fnevertheless, is established an inequality of'. pressure onthe outer surfaces of the end heads d d', as the piston C reaches thee'nd of its stroke in either direction^, f\vhich inequality serves tothrow the valve, andbyfsddoing to reverse the motion of the piston.rIhis `isf-,done by establishing communication, through the motion ofthe piston, between the cylinder' F, alternately at its opposite ends,and the general exhaust E. rllhus, as the parts stand, the piston Chaving reached the end of its stroke to the right hand, the pipe D isbrought into communication, through the port b, with the exhaust E, andthrough the pipe H with the right-hand end of the cylinder F, whichcauses the valve J to be thrown in direction of the arrow z, by reasonof the pressure of the water received by the pipe H from the cylinder Aacting against the back of the head d, while the outer face of the headd is relieved from pressure by Athe communication of that endl of thevalve-cylinder with the exhaust through the pipes H' and D.

This shifting of the valve J to the right, prevents water being admittedthrough the passage c, ,and opens the exhaust-port b to the passage G,which relieves the piston C of pressure on its 1eft-haud side or face,while it is exposed ou its opposite side or face to full.

pressure of the. incoming water, received through lthe passages c andG', which shoots the piston C to the opposite end off the cylinder, Asthe piston G, however, thus moves to the left hand, or as it approachesthe end of such stroke, its pipe Dis brought into com- 4 munication withthe exhaust-port b and pipe H, and the pipe H made to freely supplywater to the back ofthe head d', which reverses the action or throw ofthe valve J, causing it, as it passes to the left hand, to again assumethe position represented inthe drawing, and, as the valve is thus thrownto the left, the passage c is closed by the head d', and passage Gopened to the exhaust-port b', and water freely received through thepassages e and G. This causes the piston C again to he moved to theright, and in due course the valve to be again reversed.

In this way is a continuous reciprocating action kept upof theindependent` piston and valve without the aid of internal or externalgear, the motion ot either one being controlled by the movement of theother over its or their respective passages.

The lap given to thc exhaust by the head e, and distances of thelheads del apart'relatively to the passages c c', prevent any dead-point in thethrow ofthe valve, and it is desirable that the pipes H H' should neverbe entirely closed by theheads d d', so that there will always be waterin the ends of the cylinder l to /start the valve hack again, and tosecure for it a cushioning action, which latter may be enlarged bynotching the heads al d', as at s s.

Though the valve J is here shown as of a balance cylindrical character,a diii'erent form of valve may be substituted, or a combination of tlatslide-valve with end heads may be employed, if preferred.

It is also desirable to notchthe ends ot' the chambers a a as at fm mAto insure a free ingress for the '.hoops, h, that, as the pistonreciprocates, is or are made to engage with a rod or rods, fi, fast toeither 'headfB B. ihis mode of guiding the piston renders unnecessaryall objectionable rod-extension for the purpse,'outside of either. cap Bor B; also involves no leakage or packing.

The quantity of water passing through the meter arms or out of theexhaust, cach stroke'oi the piston, being ascertained by the capacityot' the chambers a a', or quantity of' water displaced by them, it onlyrequires to connect the piston C with a suitable indicator to effect aperfect register. This may be done by an attachment, k, to the `pistonand connecting-devices running through the one end of the cylinder A, orotherwise. y

The same combination of main piston with its cylinder, valve, and itscylinder and passages, as described, may be used in working the deviceas a motor to opcrate a pump, steam being substituted for water, as theimpelling-uid, to throw the piston and valve, and the piston beingprovided with a rod extending through either head. 13 or YB of thecylindelg'for the purpose of v establishing connection of it with theplunger of the pump. i

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Pat-ent, is-

1. A reciprocating piston and indcpendentreciproeating valve, havingpassages connecting their respective cylinders or cases and water-waysin the piston,

in connection with suitable inlet and outlet-passages,

.so arranged that thevalve and piston are'made to con trol each other bythe direct action of ,the fluid passing through the meter, withouttheaid ot' valve-gear or other intervening mechanical devices,substantially as set forth. y

2. The combination of the piston C, cylinder A, and hollow heads or capsB B', with the valve J, having heads e l d, and cylinder F, providedwith passages H H', connecting the valve-cylinder with the maincylinder, and main inlet and outlet-passages I and E, essentially asshown and described.

3. The valve J, so constructed and arranged rela.-

tively to the exhaust-port b', which it controls, and

inlet-passages c c', as that while said valve overlaps the exhanst-portinpassing it, `ingress is established for the impelling-tiuid throughthe passages c c to the valve and opposite ends of the main cylinder,substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the piston C, ol one or more eyes or loops, h,and guide-rods i, arranged within the main cylinder or its heads,substantially as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

H. C. SElGEAN-T.

Witnesses:

FRED. HArNEs, HENRY PALMER.

